Island Burgers and Shakes: Options galore!

What we love: The milkshakes, the malteds, the BYOB! The number of burger or chicken sandwich topping and bun options.

What we could live without: Uh, we kinda wanted fries with that. The overwhelmingness of the number of burger or chicken sandwich topping and bun options.

Burger scale: A-

Price range: $$ out of $$$$

Payment method: cash, major credit cards

When we heard we were going to a place called Island Burgers and Shakes, we suspected the place would be decorated with surf paraphernalia. We were right.

We didn't think the place would also be the size of a Tahitian Motu, but it was. The size suits the vibe of the place: low key casual eats made with fresh quality deets.

Since the place unabashedly calls itself a burger and shake joint, before we could contemplate burgers, we had to first try the shakes. They were magnifique. (We don't know if we're allowed to use snooty French adjectives to describe milkshakes, but that was the word that popped into the taste bud part of our brain in big flashing marquee lights.)

As for the burgers, solid is as good an adjective as it gets. The ingredients were fresh and high end, but we won't say these were the best burgers we've ever tasted. As much as we love freedom of choice and America and apple pie, 63 burger toppings and the 6 bun combinations felt gimmicky and detracted from the very thing we were there for. Da burgers.

Remove the toppings, and the hefty half pound patties were pretty. They had a nice char on the outside and a beautiful red juicy inside (we like our burgers on the medium, slightly rare side). Sadly, what they had in looks, they lacked in taste. They were underseasoned. Naked, the burgers bordered on almost flavorless. With their clothes (ahem, toppings), they made for a decent party in our mouths, albeit of the polite dinner sort with guests that sit still, sip wine and talk about the stock market.

We're glad we went to Island Burgers and Shakes. We like the concept. While we probably won't make a special trip to Hell's Kitchen just for the food, if we're ever in the area and have a hankering for a shake and burger, we'd stop in.

Although next time, we may try our luck with a churrasco. Our token bird sampler reported her chicken, onion, mushroom, peppers on ciabatta was tasty and done to perfection.

For more pictures, click here.